


A Very Fond Farewell

by Megatraven



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen, Ghosts, Goodbyes, Grief/Mourning, Loss, Memories, Moving On
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-20 08:55:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22181347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megatraven/pseuds/Megatraven
Summary: Marinette visits the graves of her friends to tell them that she's leaving Paris.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chloé Bourgeois & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 29
Kudos: 139





	A Very Fond Farewell

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the song "The Last Goodbye" by Billy Boyd, and deals with the dealing with loss and the struggle to move on

The cold nipped at her nose, but Marinette hardly noticed as she walked down a familiar path. Snow fell around her, covering the world in its soft embrace and putting all to rest.

An umbrella hung over her shoulder, protecting her from the wind and snow both, although she didn’t keep it for that. It’d always given her a certain warm feeling, and on days such as that, when she traveled down twisting stone paths that should be well-worn, she felt it most. She could almost pretend it’s a hand resting on her shoulder, the very same that gave her the umbrella so many years ago.

But it wasn’t, and the memory of the feeling faded away as she approached four stone markers. Flowers laid in front of each, flowers that Marinette had settled over them with her last visit. 

She smiled as she knelt down, giving a moment of her attention to each grave, wiping the snow from them with all the care and love she could muster. When she was content with her work, she sat back on the ground, ignoring the cold that seeped through her clothes, and simply existed near them.

The sun had began to pass beneath the horizon before Marinette found it in herself to speak.

“Hey, guys,” she whispered, the sadness in her voice a near-tangible thing. “It hasn’t been too long since I came, but I have some news.”

Her gaze flickered over to one of the stones, and a painful pang in her heart made it hard to continue. She could almost hear her best friend telling her to spill. Her voice would be warm and excited and Marinette wouldn’t be able to hold back.

“I got accepted for an internship in New York... It’s for design, of course, and it’s paid! Can you believe how lucky that is?” She laughed, even as her voice broke over the word ‘lucky.’ “It’s going to be for two years, and if it goes well enough, they said I might be hired right when it ends.” She swallowed down a forming lump in her throat. “But that means...”

Marinette’s words trailed off, and she couldn’t bear to look at her friends as she said the next part, instead looking down at her hands.

“That means I have to leave.”

It hurt to even say, and as soon as the words left her mouth, her breath hitched. She squeezed her eyes shut, begging herself to be strong enough or this, trying as hard as she could to keep her tears at bay.

“I know most people don’t even visit you anymore... not even on Heroes’ Day.” A note of contempt made its way into her voice at that, but it was gone as quick as it came. “But I’m no better if I’m leaving, am I?”

Her hands clenched and she looked up at the sky, searching for something, some answer, but nothing came. Still, she’s never needed some other-worldly answer before. She knew her teammates- her friends- better than anyone, after all.

She could imagine it all:

_Her enemy-turned-friend flip her hair and scoff, commenting on how ridiculous, utterly ridiculous she was being. The secret smile she’d accidentally show, and then try to deny as everyone teased her for it._

_The friend she’d known the longest would look at her with his eyebrows drawn together before pulling her into a hug, telling her that she was never meant to be stuck in Paris._

_Her best friend would tear up, but they wouldn’t be sad tears- no, she’d be happy for Marinette. She’d push her out the door with bags already packed and walk her all the way to the terminal, watching until the very last moments, yelling her love and goodbyes and well-wishes at the top of her lungs._

_And last but not least... the boy she loved, watching her with adoration clear in his eyes. He’d smile at her, and he’d be crying too, proud of her talent and all that she accomplished while not giving up any part of herself. The kiss he’d place on her cheek, and the promise of more when they met again. Or maybe even the question of whether or not he could follow her, because she knew that he would if given the okay._

She could see it... she could see them, her friends standing before her, smiling down. The pain in her smile eased up, and that little part of her that held so strongly onto the tears let go, let them fall freely down her face and into the snow.

“...I love you guys,” she murmured, a whisper on the wind that she knew would carry to them. “And I’ll always come back to you.”

The sun was gone from the sky by the time she stood back up. She set her palm against each grave one more time, putting all the warmth she could into each touch, hoping it would keep them warm through the winter and into the spring, when she’d planned to visit her parents.

She turned away, the umbrella nestled over her head once more, protecting her from the wind.

It was only when she reached the end of the path- the furthest point she could be before the graves disappeared from sight- did she turn back.

“See you soon.”

A small breeze blew past her, warmer than what could be in the middle of such snowy weather, and with it went the weight from her shoulders. As she turned away once again, her footsteps and heart were both lighter than they’d been in years.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and Kudos appreciated! <3


End file.
